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Higher Education Review January 2015

Learn about the external review process conducted by the QAA to assess how effectively the University of Kent manages academic standards, quality of the student learning experience, enhancement, and public information. Understand the UK Quality Code and its expectations for higher education providers. Discover the importance of the review and how it can help institutions improve their approach to meeting the expectations. Read the self-evaluation document and student submissions to gain insights into the university's performance.

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Higher Education Review January 2015

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  1. Higher Education Review January 2015

  2. Higher Education Review – What is it? External Review of how effectively Kent manages: • Academic Standards • Quality of the Student Learning Experience • Enhancement • Public Information

  3. Higher Education Review – Who Leads it? The QAA: • Team of external peer reviewers • Senior Academic Professionals • Student Member • Assistant Director of the QAA

  4. What do the QAA test Universities Against? The UK Quality Code • Part A: Academic standards, • Part B: Academic quality and • Part C: Information about higher education provision. • Each of these is subdivided into Chapters covering specific themes. • Each Chapter has an Expectation

  5. UK Quality Code - Expectations • Expectations express key principles essential for the assurance of academic standards and quality. • …What UK higher education providers are required to do, what they expect of themselves and each other, and what students and the general public can therefore expect of them. • Individual providers are required to demonstrate they are meeting the Expectations effectively.

  6. UK Quality Code – Example Expectation B6: Assessment of students and the recognition of prior learning “Higher education providers operate equitable, valid and reliable processes of assessment, including for the recognition of prior learning, which enable every student to demonstrate the extent to which they have achieved the intended learning outcomes for the credit or qualification being sought.”

  7. QA Quality Code – Why does it Matter? In HER, the core task is to: • Explain to the review team how you know that your institution’s approach is effective in meeting the Expectations of the Quality Code, and how it could be further improved.

  8. HER 2015 – Self-Evaluation Document (SED) • to give an overview of your organisation, including its track record in managing quality and standards • to describe your approach to assuring the academic standards and quality of that provision • to explain how you know that approach is effective in meeting the Expectations of the Quality Code (and other external reference points, where applicable), and how it could be further improved.

  9. SED – Where Can You Read it? http://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/instaudit.html In particular, staff involved in: • Quality Management • Student Support • Partnerships

  10. What Else Does the Review Team look at? Information provided by students Students at the university make a written student submission to help the review team understand what it is like to be a student at that university or college and how students' views are considered.

  11. Student Submission • Feedback • Still variable in quality • Very little to no feedback on written exam scripts • Assessment • Inconsistencies between marks and feedback comments between examiners • Employability • Like more opportunities to have placements, involvement with modules etc • More volunteering opportunities • Too much variability in what’s offered between programmes and levels (including PGT and PGR)

  12. Student Submission • Learning Resources • Positive about the library, hubs etc • Have issues over lecture capture – too little at present but seem to acknowledge that Kent is starting • Critical over rooms, lack of flexibility, difficult to book for student activities etc • Critical of lack of social and study space • Particularly critical over space for PGT students, especially out of term time • Also note that catering and other facilities restricted for PGT out of term time

  13. Student Submission Electronic Submission • Basically they want comprehensive ES! • Want to submit and obtain feedback electronically as universally as possible • Feel that there is currently too much inconsistency of treatment Student Engagement • Positive about the way the university tries to include students at all levels • However, feel that too often students are treated like 2nd class citizens in some meetings, or feel intimidated • Feel there should be better explanation of processes, and expectation management of staff • Feel that better training is important and that they take responsibility for that

  14. What Else Does the Review Team look at? Information collected by QAA QAA collects for the review team any recent QAA reports on the university or college and any other recent published reports from other organisations that work with the university or college. • KIS Data • National Student Survey • Destination of Leavers from Higher Education • Non-continuation following year of entry

  15. When is this Happening?

  16. HER - When is it Happening? • Now

  17. HER - When is it Happening? Desk-based analysis • The first stage is a desk-based analysis by the review team of a wide range of information about the higher education on offer.

  18. HER - When is it Happening? • Kent SED & KSU Student Submission • Submitted in December 2014

  19. HER - When is it Happening? • Kent SED & KSU Student Submission Submitted in December 2014 • Additional Information by end January • Review visit: week commencing 9 March 2015

  20. HER - When is it Happening? • The precise duration of, and programme for, the review visit will be determined by the review team about four weeks beforehand

  21. HER Week – Who Will be involved? • QA Manager • Lead Student Representative • Selected Staff • Students • Representatives of some partners

  22. HER – How Will We Be Judged? Judgement on standards • meets UK expectations, • requires improvement to meet UK expectations or • does not meet UK expectations

  23. HER – How Will We Be Judged? Judgements on learning opportunities, information and enhancement • commended, • meets UK expectations, • requires improvement to meet UK expectations or • does not meet UK expectations Plus ‘Affirmations’

  24. HER – Potential Consequences? HEFCE – Unsatisfactory Quality Policy (QUP) • Providers who receive one or more 'does not meet' judgements or who are unsuccessful in having a 'requires improvement' judgement changed to 'meets UK expectations' will have the UQP applied to them. • Providers who are unsuccessful in having a 'does not meet' judgement changed to 'meets UK expectations' will move directly to a HEFCE-led process, which involves regular meetings and engagement with HEFCE and other stakeholders to agree and monitor progress against further actions.

  25. HER – Potential Consequences? HEFCE may • limit or exclude the institution from securing further public investment through any bidding process run by HEFCE. • consider whether the institution’s poor-quality status should have any impact on how the student number control applies. • make a support team available to the institution to help resolve the issues.

  26. HER – Potential Consequences? HEFCE may • make recommendations to the institution’s senior management team and, if appropriate, the board of governors as detailed in the ‘wider support strategy’ in Annex D of the financial memorandum (HEFCE 2010/19). • HEFCE will also consider applying its general institutional support strategy, which is described in Annex D of HEFCE 2010/19. http://www.hefce.ac.uk/media/hefce/content/pubs/2013/201330/HEFCE_2013_30.pdf

  27. HER – Risks? • ? • ? • ? • ? • ?

  28. HER – What Should We Be Doing? • Manage Quality processes effectively – PASS, Academic Advisors, Concessions, Assessment feedback) • Ensure all quality process documentation is up to date and available (Specifications, Reports, AMRs, Minutes, Responses to EEs) • Ensure consistency in information about modules in various media (Module Specs, Online Module Catalogue, Moodle)

  29. Questions and Discussion

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